Jamaica's hopes of advancing in the Davis Cup were dashed on Sunday as they suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to New Zealand at the Eric Bell Tennis Centre. Despite a spirited effort from the home team, the Kiwis secured victory in the decisive singles match to book their place in the World Cup II ties in September, while Jamaica now faces relegation to Group 3 in the Americas Zone.

The tie was finely poised heading into the final day's play, with both teams locked at 1-1 after Saturday’s singles matches. However, New Zealand quickly took the upper hand when their doubles duo of Ajeet Rai and Finn Reynolds overpowered Jamaica’s John Chin and Nicholas Gore, securing a dominant 6-1, 6-2 victory to give the visitors a 2-1 lead.

Jamaica’s top player, Blaise Bicknell, provided hope for the hosts, delivering a clinical 6-2, 6-4 win over Rai in the reverse singles to level the tie at 2-2. With everything to play for, the decisive singles match saw Jamaica’s Rowland Phillips take on Jack Loutit.

Phillips started strongly, winning the first set 6-3 and putting the home team on the brink of victory. However, Loutit mounted a determined comeback, taking the next two sets 6-3, 6-3 to seal the victory for New Zealand and silence the home crowd.

The result means that New Zealand progresses to the World Cup II ties later this year, while Jamaica will have to regroup and prepare for life in Group 3 of the Americas Zone. Despite the disappointment, the Jamaican team showed resilience and promise, offering hope for future Davis Cup campaigns.

Photo: Courtesy of Jamaica Social